Stratasys is showing additive manufacturing innovations this week at the IMTS show in Chicago at Booths N-6144, C-819, and N-6390 (Photo: Business Wire)

Stratasys believes 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) is
becoming more frequently adopted as a production process, and is being
more widely used by Stratasys customers to make custom manufacturing
tools, such as jigs, fixtures, and molds. Stratasys also believes that
additive manufacturing is significantly more cost efficient when used in
these low-volume production applications. With the help of additive
manufacturing, some of Stratasys customers report 40 to 90 percent
reductions in lead-times and 70 to 90 percent cost reduction.

According to a global survey by industry consulting and research firm
Wohlers Associates, Inc., 26 percent of the parts made with 3D printing
(or additive manufacturing) systems last year were custom
manufacturing tools such as molds, patterns, jigs and fixtures. This
approach is being employed by manufacturers across a range of industries
including automotive, aerospace, medical, and consumer products to help
significantly reduce lead time and cost.

“We see constantly that manufacturing with 3D printing technologies is
transforming how many products are made,” says Gilad Gans, President,
Stratasys North American Operations. “Using 3D printers to create
manufacturing tools can help companies create a leaner manufacturing
environment, enabling them to quickly produce tools when and where
they’re needed to speed the manufacturing process and reduce costs.”

Stratasys believes that besides being used for production tools, 3D
printing will be used to produce finished goods more and more. 3D
printing allows new business models to be developed, and has allowed
entreprenuers to start up businesses that would not have been viable
using traditional manufacturing methods. An example is Kor Ecologic,
maker of the Urbee hybrid automobile, which says it could not have
started its business without applying additive manufacturing processes.
Benefits of 3D printing as a manufacturing process include elimination
of traditional design constraints, cost-efficient low-volume production,
and enhanced product functionality.

Stratasys believes greater industry awareness of 3D printers’
capabilities, advancements in materials, and increasing affordability
will play a significant role in driving higher adoption by manufacturers
worldwide.

Stratasys invites manufacturers to the
International
Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at McCormick Place in Chicago
this week, where the company will showcase its additive manufacturing
technologies. Stratasys will display at IMTS from Sept 8-13 in booths
N-6144, C-819, and N-6390. Besides seeing two new 3D printers and a new
3D printing material visitors will see examples of 3D printed production
parts and learn how they augment traditional manufacturing processes and
reduce cost and lead time.

For more than 25 years, manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, defense,
education, consumer goods, electronics, biomedical and other industries
have used 3D printing to prototype new products. Today, it is used as a
production tool by growing numbers of manufacturers for everything from
custom production tools to complex finished goods, on-demand in an
efficient process, significantly reducing cost and production time.

NEW STRATASYS 3D PRINTERS

At IMTS Stratasys is also introducing the Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500
Connex2 multi-material 3D printers featuring triple-jetting technology.
Triple-jetting technology allows users to build products using up to
three different materials in a single run, or even mix multiple material
droplets to form new digital materials such as tough Digital ABS.
Joining the
Objet500
Connex3 Color multi-material 3D Printer launched in January, the
Objet500 Connex1 and Objet500 Connex2 offer designers and manufacturers
superior versatility for materials, functionality and product realism.
Manufacturers are already making use of these attributes to enable
leaner more agile manufacturing operations, reducing the price of
tooling, reducing inventory and decentralizing manufacturing. The unique
material qualities combined with 3D printing technology gives
manufacturers a competitive edge, allowing them to create accurate
models and prototypes in house, as well as consolidated parts and
production tooling.

NEW STRATASYS 3D PRINTING MATERIAL

Stratasys is also introducing the thermoplastic ASA (Acrylonitrile
Styrene Acrylate) a new material option for the FDM process, which has
UV resistance for outdoor applications and produces FDM parts with an
exceptional surface finish. ASA is an all-purpose thermoplastic 3D
printing material used to produce prototypes, manufacturing tools and
finished goods. Manufacturers in the automotive, electronics,
commercial, sporting goods and construction industries can benefit from
ASA’s UV stability, strength and durability. Examples of applications
include jigs and fixtures, electrical boxes, recreational vehicles and
outdoor tools.